Acquisitions
LSL says it plans to get back on the acquisition trail
Modest fall in transactions expected this year, says parent company of Reeds Rains and Your Move
News
Agency
Chestertons goes back to Zoopla – but also signs new five-year agreement with OnTheMarket
Founding OTM member starts listing on Zoopla and Primelocation again
Finance
Price falls set to increase across UK’s biggest cities – Hometrack
Housing data firm predicts price growth will be negative in London by mid-2018 and decline may follow in other cities
Agency
Mystery four agents not (yet) outed on Twitter after refusing to settle bills
Pay up trainer tells agents – and just who is that well-known global name?
Agency
Agents claim Stamp Duty exemptions are starting to work as first-time buyer sales hit new high
Proportion of first-time buyer sales hits a three-year high but demand and supply is still falling in the rest of the market
Acquisitions
Former Countrywide team buys big lettings book as it dusts off Stirling Ackroyd brand
Nick Dunning Associates buys lettings portfolio off MyLondon Home
Agency
Spicerhaart to offer deposit replacement service through its lettings branches
Agents will offer flatfair scheme which provides landlords with 12 weeks of rent protection
People
Change in boardroom at Belvoir as Nick Leeming steps down
Nick Leeming to step down from Belvoir, with Michael Stoop to take his place
Finance
Mortgage approvals slide again as February sees an 11% drop in house purchase approvals
Mortgage lenders failed to sustain the increase in approvals from January
Agency
Agents expelled from TPO after failures over rent and deposit protection
Expulsions of agents announced by Ombudsman
Acquisitions
EYE NEWSFLASH: Publishers Axel Springer pump £125m into Purplebricks
Giant media company to hold 11.5% stake in Purplebricks
Agency
Estate agent in first-class train carriage broadcasts details of property deals – and Jeremy Vine listens in
Mystery agent talking 'loudly' on phone about clients 'should have paid attention to data protection'
Finance
OnTheMarket shares hit a new low despite positive news of growth
Shares in OnTheMarket start the week trading at new low
Law
Agent hit with £31,000 bill after tenants’ complaint about pigeons in loft
Council prosecution after pigeons woke tenants up at 4am each day
Finance
Stamp Duty receipts up by almost 12% in a year despite drop in transactions
Buy-to-let investors are finding 3% Stamp Duty surcharge is 'peanuts', say tax advisers
Law
Landlord Fergus Wilson cleared of charges after ’email sent via letting agent’ to tenant
Prosecution offers no evidence but Wilson agrees to order stopping him from contacting tenant for three years
People
John Hards returns to Countrywide as national lettings director
Veteran goes back to Countrywide
Finance
Cambridge academics to look at impacts of buy-to-let tax changes
Landlords asked to help with research on Stamp Duty changes and the end of mortgage interest relief
Other News
Seller goes public with his frustration over slow search times
Angry seller mounts one-man demonstration at local council
Agency
Rightmove teams up with portal to list property in Japan
UK buyers can now view 8,000 listings in Japan